This Wednesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a House Budget Committee resolution that would increase defense spending by $100 billion as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcoming DOGE to find "billions" in wasteful Pentagon spending and more.
A new resolution released today, which the House Budget Committee will vote on tomorrow, would cut $2 trillion in spending, potentially adding $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and adding $100 billion to defense:
House releases budget resolution with $100 billion defense boost
The House Budget Committee has released a resolution that increases defense spending by $100 billion, a competing "blueprint" with one being crafted in the Senate that would boost the military topline by $150 billion.
Document: House budget committee's budget resolution
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke to reporters this week outside U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany:
Hegseth welcomes 'keen eye of DOGE' to cut billions at DOD
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today he is ready to welcome Elon Musk's team of government cost-cutters to the Pentagon, anticipating they will identify "billions" in wasteful spending that can be redirected toward military readiness.
Acting Space Force acquisition chief Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy spoke this week at the Defense and Intelligence Space Conference:
OCX operational acceptance expected in January
The Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) will be delivered to operators in June, according to a letter from acting Air Force Secretary Gary Ashworth to the Pentagon's chief tester, with acceptance of the long-delayed program expected in January.
Missile defense news:
LTAMDS detects cruise missile target, PAC-2 GEM-T intercepts in key test
The Army's next-generation air and missile defense radar successfully demonstrated its ability to counter cruise missile threats using a legacy interceptor during a flight test last week at White Sands Missile Range, NM, marking an important step forward in the program's development and march toward a production review.
Former MDA chief envisions Uber-like space-based interceptor fleet
The former head of the Missile Defense Agency who two decades ago oversaw the launch of the current system that provides limited national missile defense against North Korean and Iranian threats says the United States must embrace a space-based missile defense system to keep pace with evolving threats from Russia and China.
Increased domestic refining, recycling and manufacturing should join domestic mining activity as vital components to securing U.S. mineral -- and therefore national -- security, while partnerships with international allies would also create a more resilient supply chain, witnesses and lawmakers said during a recent House Natural Resources energy and mineral resources subcommittee hearing:
House panel: Domestic mining not sole solution to ensuring critical mineral supply
Reducing reliance on imports from adversary nations for critical minerals powering the defense sector's supply chain will require a more comprehensive approach than just ramping up domestic mining activity, lawmakers and experts said during a House hearing last week.